Do bass and guitar strings from the same company follow the same style?

[GaryCorby]

I have a reason for asking this odd question. I'm new to bass but have long experience with guitar. I've spent a small fortune trying every guitar string under the sun. To what extent can I extrapolate my guitar string knowledge to bass?

For example:

I have never hated a set of guitar strings more than I hated TI Jazz Swings. Should I avoid like the plague TI flats for bass?

I love the smoothness of Chromes, but eventually found them too one-dimensional to keep using. Would I feel the same about Chromes for bass?

I'm rather fond of Pyramid Nickel Classics on my strat with active EMG pickups. Should I make Pyramid Golds my first try for my bass?

 

[JimmyM]

I can't say this with authority about every brand of guitar and bass strings out there, but yes, I've found that the guitar and bass versions of most strings are remarkably similar.

Cool that you like flats on guitar. I don't know of a single guitar player who uses them, though. Even most jazz players I know use rounds.

 

[GaryCorby]

Thanks Jimmy! That's very helpful.

I used Chromes on my strat for a couple of years. Then I discovered I like flatwounds with a round core and moved to Pyramids. Hence am looking for same with bass. It looks to me like Pyramid Golds, Sadowsky Black Label and Labella are the ones to try.

My guitar setup is a bit bass-like. I have active pickups into a solid state amp (a Jazz Chorus). Beautiful clarity.

 

[Pier_]

To what extent can I extrapolate my guitar string knowledge to bass?

it's not that easy. it depends obvously on what you like and what you need.

I'm a long time user of Thomastik Jazz Flats on my Precision Bass (and even other basses), they are my favourite strings for sound, tension, balance string-to-string and whatever

here's a sample of how they sound after four years of extra-intense use:



on one of my guitars (Epiphone G400 modded with EMG 85 pickups) I've tried both Chromes 013 and Thomastik Jazz Flats 012. first of all I have to tell you that I don't play jazz music, not even close in the bands where I play guitar we play rock/pop music, lots of effect and distortions...
I decided to try flats after reading that the guitarists from The Strokes both use Thomastik flats (they use the George Benson signature 012... but I didn't buy them, being 30 euros a set...), and loving their tone, I wanted to try flats on guitar.

Chromes were too bright and tight, and they sound exactly how they sound on bass, brighter than ususal flatwound. I didn't like them much, and even if they were 013, I broke the high-E string... (I NEVER break strings on my guitars!)

Thomasitk were heaven to my taste, warm and woody, soft to the touch. the only thing I complained was that the B and high-E are brass-plated, and in a couple of days they turned black and "rough". I know that TI makes a set with tin-plated plain strings, but I couldn't find them in shops here in Italy.

they sounded like this (I recorded these samples just to share how they sound "clean")

bridge pickup- both pickup - neck pickup. Jazz III Dunlop black pick:

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here same pickup sequence, fingers:



here, fingers, neck pickup, Stairway to heaven:



stairway, bridge pickup:



stairway, both pickups:



stairway, both pickups, in a "jazzy" way (forgive me! ahah)



to my ears they sounded and felt identical to the bass set, and I loved their tone, in particular with overdriven sounds, they were tick and rich, a mellow-hot-creamy tone cutting through the mix like no other.

I had to replace them with Elixir strings due to the fact that I needed long-lasting plain strings. I couldn't stand the fact that they were oxidised and rough. Elixir use anti-rust on their plain strings, so after an year and a half they still shine.

I'm considering to try them on my Squier Classic Vibe Stratocaster, however

so, I can say that the philosophy behing strings is pretty much the same both for guitar and bass strings, inside the brand.

 

[GaryCorby]

Pier, that's a very impressive reply! Beautifully researched. Thanks so much.

 

[quickfix]

I know lots of people that use flatwounds on guitars. The folks that didn't use them were easily converted once they tried them. Certainly not a flat top thing though.

As to extrapolation? Not completely.
I use chromes on a Gibson SG Standard and all of my archtop guitars, except one. On it I use La bella flatwound. Just discovered them when I ordered a set of La bella Deep Talkin' 760fs flatwounds and the La bella guitar 12-52 flatwounds at the same time. The guitar set sounds wonderful on my Gibson L-4CES, but the Deep Talkin' flats sounded dead on my Precision. I tried to play them in, but to no avail. Lots of "old school thump", but in direct contrast to the guitar strings, the bass strings had almost no musical attributes at all. Might as well have been playing a bass drum with a couple of pillows in it.

The D'addario Chromes on my other archtop guitars sound ok but the Chromes (50-105) on my Precision sound marvellous. A very musical string.

As far as Thomastic flats goes, had them on my L-4CES but was fairly ambivalent about their tone and playability. Like playing wet noodles. You can read all about the TI bass flatwound strings on this site. Some rave about them. Some don't.
I intend to try them some day in spite of their floppy reputation.

 

[Pier_]

I intend to try them some day in spite of their floppy reputation.

yes, they have a low tension, and for my tastes that's the best part of the deal!

once I was used to 50-110 strings, but after usind smaller gauges for a bit, I get used to the tension.

for example, I've been used to Thomastik flats for the last four years, and obviously 45-105 strings felt hard (TIs are 43-56-70-100, and roundcore!), but I decided to try 30-90 strings on a bass, just for fun... well, after some weeks playing only that set, the TI felt like 50-110 strings to me!

a set of DR Hi Beam 40-95 is slinkier than the TI flats, even if the D and A are bigger (60-75).

for my actual habits any set over TI is extremely stiff and hard to play but I was used to 50-110 strings, thinking that big strings had the basses

it's all a matter of habits, of getting used to something.

the bass strings had almost no musical attributes at all. Might as well have been playing a bass drum with a couple of pillows in it.

that's how they are supposed to sound.

on the other side, Chromes are considered "modern sounding" flats, not suited for real vintage tone.

Pier, that's a very impressive reply! Beautifully researched. Thanks so much.

it's a pleasure to share experiences being helpful for others is always a joy

 

[recreate.me]

I think bass strings have a bit of a secondary characteristic you should be aware of (that i don't think guitar strings really have) - they sound different with extended use.

I have never played guitar, but band mates would be constantly changing strings, always wanting fresh strings. However, i have had the same nickel rounds on my bass for the better part of a decade.

Bass strings have one sound, until they break in, then they have some different second sound. Some strings sound great until they break in and then sound awful, sometimes strings sound awful until you break them in and then they sound perfect!

So, its hard to judge a string until you have heard both sounds lol I used to use DM Blue Steels, and loved them for like 3 months, and then they would go flat and sound terrible (IMO) after i found how often i was changing strings, i just switched brands. I moved to Nickel strings, and didn't care for how they sounded until they broke in, and now i never want to take them off! (i know if i replace them i have to deal with a bunch of unhappy playing time until they settle in lol)

So just keep that in mind, If you hate them right away, you may like them later on lol

 

[GaryCorby]

That makes it all the more important to choose right the first time! Thanks for the warning.

I always assumed bass players didn't change strings because sets cost a trillion dollars. (Alright, maybe I exaggerate slightly).

I'm now thinking Sadowsky Black Label for a first try, because I found an old TalkBass thread that described them as feeling smooth as glass.

What's on the bass at the moment is G&L stock, which I believe are EXL170s. Perfectly nice strings, but I'd rather get rid of the finger noise.

 

[Klonk]

They are smooth as glass indeed (was it me who said that in the thread you found?)

I'm waiting for a set of Sadowsky Black Label Flats myself, the light gauge set, 40-100 (think it's called SBF40). Big fan of the SBF45 set (45-105) but a wee bit too high tension for my taste. Having high hopes for the light set.

 

[GaryCorby]

Hi Klonk, no, it wasn't you unless you changed your name. This is the thread where I found the phrase, from more than two years ago: http://www.talkbass.com/threads/sadowsky-black-label-flats-thoughts.925327/

I guess a few people share your opinion.

 

[Pier_]

I always assumed bass players didn't change strings because sets cost a trillion dollars.

it depends on the sound they are looking for. if one looks for a bright and snappy sound, full of harmonics and "zing", the classic "modern" sound many refer to, probably he's going to change them every month or after three/four gigs.

if one looks for the "vintage" vibe, the sound big on the fundamental, and maybe with a nice thump, like flatwound strings have, probably he's not going to change strings until they can't intonate or even tune.

to get a "steve harris-john entwistle-chris squire sound" one should change strings every week (they change them on every gig and almost every song in recording sessions).

to get a motown kind of sound, never change them

it's all a matter of needs.

I have a bass with flatwounds that I never change, and a bass with rounds that I change when they start to lose the brigthness, but I use them for different things.

you can't slap in Marcus Miller "sound" with old nickel strings.

I have never played guitar, but band mates would be constantly changing strings, always wanting fresh strings.

same here, it depends on what you play, the sound you want.

jazz guitarists mostly use flatwounds and never change them, to get that smooth sound, but so did many in other music context: the Beatles were all strung with flatwounds on their electric guitars, and so did the Strokes 40 years later.

if you want to sound always bright with lots of harmonics, strings won't last a week

try to make a power chord sound crunchy and full with dead strings. try to make a screaming solo with thumpy strings!

 

[Camaro]

I used Chromes on my strat for a couple of years. Then I discovered I like flatwounds with a round core and moved to Pyramids. Hence am looking for same with bass.It looks to me like Pyramid Golds, Sadowsky Black Label and Labella are the ones to try.

To my knowlege the only Flatwound Bass strings with a round core are TI Jazz falts and the DR legend falts. I'm not sure about the Pyramid and Optima Falts, trough.

Cool that you like flats on guitar. I don't know of a single guitar player who uses them, though. Even most jazz players I know use rounds.

And thats a pitty, they sound great: Invalid Link Removed

 

[Pier_]

I'm not sure about the Pyramid and Optima Falts, trough.

Pyramid Gold are roundcore

 

[iiipopes]

My experience with GHS Boomers, guitar and bass, and with D'Addario XL, guitar and bass, are that they are consistent in the family of tone from guitar to bass.

 

[GaryCorby]

Thanks, that does seem to be the conclusion!